The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-28

the door of the he rG,-the great golden
door of loyalty and love-God will come
in, and there shall be a glorious love-
life begun in us such as we have never
known before. Weshall come to peace,
peace that passeth all understanding,
and with that the power to overcome
the world. In such an experience, soul
forces are developed, of which our lower
moods are utterly ignorant, forces that
cannot be developed by any secular
education,-forces that may lead US
into the region of the miraculous. When
we come to this blessed estate, we take
on the TRANSPORTED look. The fashion
of the countenance is altered and hu-
mainly is TRANSPORTED. The human
face is sure and ready index of char
acter. On this wondrous mirror the
inmost thoughts cast reflections of
themselves. When an eloquent thought,
or great truth, shoots into the counte-
nance and sets its starlight in the eye,
the face becomes beautiful as an an
gels, and we are admitted to high COM
partnership. We come unto Mount Zion,
and unto the city of the living God, and
to an innumerable company of angels,
and to the spirits of just men made
perfect.
The New Testament discloses all
this as among the possible experiences
of the human soul. Jesus says this is
that to which you may come. The
| ideal is exalted, immense, but immense
and exalted as it is, we are instructed
that if we are only willing to follow
Christ, and learn, and learn how to prac-
tice what we learn, we shall come to it.
o, how many times have sat down by
this story of the transfgurationl How
many times have l walked in thought
about it, How have prayed that some
such hour might come into my expert
| ence. | have tested what is known as
modern spiritualism. 1 have seen all
the manifestations it has to offer me,
and whilst these manifestations, some
| of them, have been wonderful, yet the
multitude of them have never satisfied
| or moved me. When Moses and Elias
appeared with Christ before the aston
ished disciples, there was none of the
machinery of the cabinet, nothing of
the glamor of slate writing or table tip
ping. The story issimple. "And it came
to pass about eight days after these
sayings, he (Jesus) took Peter, and
James, and John, and went up into a
mountain to pray. And as he prayed,
the fashion of his countenance was
changed, and his raiment was white and
glistening. And behold there talked
with him two men, which were Moses
and Elias" 1 am satisfied that the
spiritualism here Illustrated, comes of
the complete harmony of the human
soul with God-nothing short of God
in man, by which l mean the love of
God shed abroad in the heart, influ-
encing all our thoughts and conduct.
"God is love, and he that dwelleth in
love dwelleth i'll God and God in him"
There is no higher reach for the human
soul than that.
Consider one other approach to this
| experience. Jesus had spoken to his
disciples about his suffering and death
at Jerusalem for the truths sake. He
reminds them of how man must deny
himself and take up his cross daily;
that those who are anxious about their
own welfare more than anything else,
shall lose their lives, and only those who
| forget self and live for others, can save
their lives. Then they went to the
mountain, and there was exhibited be-
| fore the disciples the outcome and glory
of life united to the great work of
| God in the world. The vision was so
grand and beautiful that they said, let
US abide here. Let us not go back.
Let US build here three tabernacles, one
for thee, Jesus, and one for Moses, and
one for Elias. Then cloud was pushed
across the scene, and they were over
Swallowed, and voice came out of the
cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son,
hear him." They were not to remain
there. Clouds and darkness are sure to
come over our fairest vision, if we are
idle. So Jesus leads them down from
| these sublime heights to the valley be-
low, where they were to go about the
Fathers business. He led them along
the paths of human suffering and need,
and taught them that no spiritual at
tainment would exempt them from a
life of helpfulness to their fellow men.
My dear people, would you come to
this ideal of Christian experience. Keep
thy feet in the royal way, and love one
another as Christ hath loved you; re-
membering that it is promised, that
he that giveth so much as cup of cold
water to the thirsty, in the name of
disciple, shall not lose his reward. We
are not required to do great things.
Scores of men and women are kept back
from the higher stages of Christian
experience, because they are not able to
do some great thing. An individual